The Mayor's Dangerous Idea

Published: September 28, 2001

Mayor Rudolph Giuliani wants to extend his current term of office into 2002, postponing the inauguration of a new mayor for several months. This is a terrible idea. Neither New York City nor the nation has ever postponed the transfer of power because the public was convinced it could not get along without the current incumbent. The very concept goes against the most basic of American convictions, that we live in a nation governed by rule of law.

To suggest that the city would be incapable of getting along without Mr. Giuliani after the end of the year undermines New York's sense of self-sufficiency and normality, which the mayor himself has worked so hard to restore. While Mr. Giuliani has been a great leader during this crisis, the truth is that no one is indispensable. George Washington understood that when he rejected repeated attempts to keep him in office indefinitely. Washington was followed in the presidency by a long line of successors, some of them distinctly mediocre. But the country went on, because people put their faith in the democratic process and not in the strength of any one individual.

Mr. Giuliani has asked his three possible successors to agree to postpone the next inauguration and let him stay on for a few more months to continue his work on the city's recovery. He and his supporters are holding out the threat that if the mayor is not given his wish, they will mount an attempt to repeal the term limits law so he can run for re-election in November. They argue that he needs just a few extra months to finish the most critical work in the wake of an enormous disaster. But one critical task after another is going to crop up for the foreseeable future. And history suggests that the worst time to change the election rules is right before an election, in a time of crisis.

Michael Bloomberg, the Republican mayoral candidate, has accepted the mayor's proposal, as has Mark Green, one of the two Democrats who will meet in a runoff Oct. 11. The other, Fernando Ferrer, the Bronx borough president, rejected it but offered to put Mr. Giuliani in charge of a new recovery authority.

Politically speaking, Mr. Giuliani's offer must have been almost irresistible to Mr. Green, who wants to appeal to conservative voters as well as his more liberal base of support. Additionally, all the candidates would like to end the controversy over term limits, and to settle the question of Mr. Giuliani's future so the public might begin paying attention to them.

But the politically smart route is not, in this case, best for the city. Mr. Giuliani already has the ability to make sure the transfer of power is smooth. The mayor should begin working immediately to bring his potential successors up to speed. When he leaves office Jan. 1, he should urge key members of his own administration to stay on to finish the work they are doing if his successor wishes them to stay. The best way for Mr. Giuliani to help New York City after Jan. 1 is not by retaining power but by giving it up in the most generous way possible.

Postponing the inauguration date would require the approval of the State Legislature. The Senate majority leader, Joseph Bruno, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver should tell Mr. Giuliani, with the greatest respect, that he is making a mistake. The best way for him to serve the city and his own political legacy is to step down on schedule.

This week, New Yorkers who voted in the primary elections felt the comfort that comes with the return to civic routine. They also sent an important signal to the rest of the world that the city is on the mend. That orderly political process must continue.